Delta4-estrene-10beta, 17beta-diol-3-one compounds and process therefor



United States Patent Ofiice 3,083,953 Patented May 7, 1963 3,083,953 M-ESTRENE-10,8,l'7fl-DIGL-3-0NE C(IMPUUNDS AND PROCESS THEREFUR Carl Diernssi, Fred Allan Kincl, and Jose Iriarte, all of Mexico City, Mexico, assignors, by mesne assignments,

to Syntex Corporation, a corporation of Panama No Drawing. Filed Mar. 18, I959, Ser. No. 800,093 Claims priority, application Mexico Mar. 19, 1958 11 Claims. (Cl. zen-397.4)

The present invention relates to novel cyclopentanophenanthrene derivatives and to a method for the preparation thereof.

In particular, it relates to novel A -estrene-lB,17fi-diol- 3-one compounds substituted at C-17u with a residue of an aliphatic hydrocarbon, saturated or unsaturated, having up to 5 carbon atoms, and which may further have an additional double bond between C-1 and 0-2, as well as to their Cl0, 17-diesters of hydrocarbon carboxylic acids of up to 12 carbons.

The novel compounds, for example the novel 17a-ethinyl-A -estrene-l0fl,17,8-diol-3-one and its diesters, are anabolic drugs having a favorable anabolic-androgenic ratio and also show anti-estrogenic efiect.

The novel compounds of the present invention are illustrated by the following formula:

In the above equation R and R represent the same groups as heretofore.

III

For the preparation of the novel compounds of the present invention we started from 53,10B-oxido-estranl7/3-ol-3-one, substituted at C-17OL with a lower alkyl or lower alkinyl group (I) or from a 5a-halo-estrane-105, l7fl-diol-3-one, substituted at C170L with a lower alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl group (II) described in our US. patent application Serial No. 800,085, filed simultaneously herewith.

We subjected any of such starting compounds to an alkaline treatment, preferably by refluxing with potassium hydroxide in methanol solution, and thus we obtained the A -estrene-10fi,17B-diol-3-one correspondingly substituted at C-17a (III; R=alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl, R =H).

This reaction has already been described in the literature for the transformation of 55,IOB-oxido-estran-lHR-ol- S-one, unsubstituted at C-17a, into A -estrene-105,17,8- diol-S-one. Alternatively, we also converted I into III by reaction with perchloric acid in aqueous acetone solution.

In the resulting novel A -estrene-105,17i3-diol-3-one substituted at (3-17, there can be introduced an additional double bond between (3-1 and C-2 by chemical or microbiological methods, well known for effecting such dehydrogenation. Preferably we esterified the two hydroxyl groups of a 17u-substituted A -est-rene-l05,17fi-diol-3-one by reaction with the anhydride of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst, such as p-toluenesultonic acid, and the resulting diester (III; R=al kyl, alkenyl or alkinyl; R =acyl) was refluxed with selenium dioxide in mixture with t-butanol and in the presence of pyridine. Thus we obtained the respective 10,17-diester of A -estradiene-10,B,l7fi-diol-3-one, correspondingly substituted at C-17a with a hydrocarbon residue (IV; R=alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl; R =acyl). By conventional methods, for example by treatment with methanolic potassium hydroxide, we hydrolyzed these diesters to produce the free 170t-Sllb5tltllt6d A estradienel0,B,l7fl-diol-3-one (IV; R=alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl; R =H); for the reesterification of these compounds we employed the method mentioned above for the esterification of the A -compounds.

For converting a l7a-alkinyl-A -estrene-l0'fl,17B-diol-3- one, obtained by alkaline treatment of the corresponding oxide-compound I, into a l7ot-alkenyl-A -estrene-10B,17B- diol-3-one, We hydrogenated the triple bond of the former to a double bond. This hydrogenation can be conducted either before or after the esterification of the hydroxyl groups at 0-10 and 0-17; in the latter case there is obtained the diester of the corresponding alkenyl-cornpound of Formula III.

For the esterification of the hydroxyl groups of III and IV we used the anhydride of a carboxylic acid having up to 12 carbon atoms, of straight or branched chain, cyclic or mixed cyclicaliphatic, substituted or not with methoxy, halogen or other groups to produce diesters such as the acetates, propionates, butyrates, hemisuccinates, enanthates, caproates, benzoates, trimethylacetates, cyclopentylpropionates, phenylpropionates, acetoxypropionates and fi-chloropropionates.

The following specific examples serve to illustrate but are not intended to limit the present invention.

Example I A mixture of 5 g. of 17a-rnethyl-5B,10fl-oxido-estran- 17B-0l-3-one and cc. of a 5% solution of potassium hydroxide in methanol was refluxed for 1 hour, poured into ice water and the reaction product was extracted with ethyl acetate. The extract was washed with water to neutral, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and the ethyl acetate was evaporated. The residue crystallized from aosaoas ethyl acetate to furnish 17a-methyl-A -estrene-10p,17B- diol-3-one.

3 g. of the above compound was dissolved in 30 cc. of acetic anhydride, treated with 300 mg. of p-toluenesultonic acid and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 12 hours. It was then poured into ice water, heated on the steam bath for half an hour and cooled; the precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with waten-dried and redissolved in 300 cc. of 1% methanolic potassium hydroxide previously cooled to C. The mixture was kept at this temperature for 1 hour, aciditied with acetic acid, concentrated to a small volume under reduced pressure and diluted with water. The precipitate was collected, washed with water, dried and recrystallized from acetone-hexane. There was thus obtained 17a-methyl-A -estrene-105,17B-diol-3-one diacetate.

A mixture of 2 g. of the above compound, 100 cc. of anhydrous t-butanol, 0.8 g. of selenium dioxide and 0.5 cc. of pyridine was refluxed under an atmosphere of nitrogen for 72 hours and then filtered through celite, washing the filter with hot t butanol. The combined filtrate and washings was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure and the residue was redissolved in acetone, decolorized with charcoal under reflux, filter and the solution was evaporated to dryness. The residue was purified by chromatography on neutral alumina, thus yielding 17-a-methyl-A -estradiene-l05,17,8-diol-3-one diacetate.

By refluxing with 5% methanolic potassium hydroxide, exactly as described above, there was obtained the free 17a-rnethy1-A -estradiened 0,8, 17,8-diol-3-one.

Example 11' Example III By following the same methods described in the previous examples, all of the l7a-alkyl and 17a-alkinyl- 5e,1OB-oxido-estran-l7,8-ol-3-ones and 17a-a1kyl, 17aalkenyl and 17ot-a1kinyl-5a-fiuoro-estrane-10p,17fi-diol-3- ones were converted into the respective d -estrene- 10,6,17B-diol-3-ones, correspondingly substituted at C17oc. By the aforementioned acetylation there were obtained the 10,17-diacetates of suchcompounds, and by subsequent dehydrogenation there were obtained the 10,17- diacetates of the respective 17et-substitutedA -estradiene-IQB,17,8-diol-3-ones. By substituting for acetic anhydride, the anhydride of another carboxylic acid having up to 12 carbon atoms, there were obtained the respective diesters, including the dibenzoates and dicyclopentylpropionates.

Thus, from the 17a-ethinyl analogs of SdIOfi-oxidoestran-17,8-ol-3-one and of 5 a-fiuoro-estrane-ltlfi,l7B-diol- 3-one, there was obtained 17ct-ethiny1-A -estrene-l0,8,17,8- diol-3-one, then its dipropionate, and by dehydrogenation of the latter there was obtained 17ot-ethinyl-A -estra diene-[ ,17,6-diol-3-one dipro-pion-ate, which was saponified to the free diolone. All of the compounds thus obtained were well defined by their constants.

For example, 17ct-ethinyl-A -estrene-10p,l7fi-diol-3-one was obtained by crystallization from acetone in the form of prisms having a melting point of 263-265 0.; [a1 +4.5 (methanol); A 236 m log E 4.08; 71mm (KBr) 3380, 3280, 1655 cmf Example IV To a prereduced suspension of 20 mg. of 2% palladium on calcium carbonate catalyst in 5 cc. of pyridine there was added 200 mg. of 17a-ethinyl-A -estrene-10/3,17odiol-3-one, obtained in accordance with the previous example, and the mixture was hydrogenated until the absorption of hydrogen practically ceased, which occurred i when the equivalent of 1 mo! of hydrogen had been absorbed. The catalyst was removed by filtration, washing the filter with ethyl acetate, and the combined filtrate and washings was washed dilute hydrochloric acid and water, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. The residue was purified by recrystallization from acetone-hexane, thus affording 17oz-vinyl-A -estrene- 10,8,175-di0l-3-one.

Example V A mixture of 300 mg. of 17oi-ethinyl-A -estrene- 10,5,17B-diol-3-one, 3 cc. of acetic anhydride and 30 mg. of p-toluenesulfonic acid was treated under the conditions described in Example I, thus giving rise to the formation of the 10,17-diacetate; the latter was hydrogenated under the conditions described in the previous example. There was thus obtained 17ot-vinyl-A -estrene-10,6,17,6- diol-3-one 10,17-diacetate.

Example VI A solution of 200 mg. of 17ot-ethinyl-5,6,10,6-oxidoestran-17/3-ol-3-one in 20 cc. of acetone was treated with 1.5 cc. of 1.5 N perchloric acid and the mixture was kept for 16 hours at room temperature; after pouring into water, the reaction product was extnacted with ethyl acetate, washed with water to neutral, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. Crystallization of the residue from acetone-hexane furnished 17aethinyl-A -estrene-106,17B-diol-3-one, identical with the compound described in Example Ill.

Example VII By refluxing 5a-fluoro-estrane-10fl,17B-diol-3-one with potassium hydroxide, by the method described in EX- ample I, there was obtained the already known A -estrene- 10fi,1'/fi-diol-3-one, Ml. 208-212" 0., [a1 +80.3 (methanol), Amax, 236 mu, log E 4.2.

We claim:

1. A process for the production of a compound of the following formula:

OR OR OR WI wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of a double bond at C1(2) and a saturated linkage at Cl(2), R is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, lower alkenyl and lower alkinyl and R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbon carboxylic acyl group of up to 12 carbon atoms.

5 17a-lower alkinyl-Mestren-10B,175-diol-3one. 17LX-1OW6I alkyl-A -estradien-1018,17B-diol-3-one. 17oc-1OWCI alkeny1-A -estradien-105,l7fi-diol-3-one. 17a-lower alkinyl-A -estradien-l03,17fi-diol-3-one. A process for the production of a compound of the following formula:

OR OR I wherein R is selected from the group consisting of lower aikyi, lower alkenyl and lower alkinyl and R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbon carboxylic acyl group of up to 12 carbon atoms comprising treating a corresponding 55,10f3-oxido compound with perchloric acid.

10. A process for the production of a compound of the following formula:

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, lower alkenyl and lower alkinyl and R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbon carboxylic acyl group of up to 12 carbon atoms comprising heating a corresponding compound selected from the group consisting of a 55,10f3-oxido compound and a 5mfluoro-ltlfi-hydroxy compound with a strong alkali in methanol and thereafter dehydrogenating at C-1,2.

11. A process for the production of a compound of the following formula:

with perchloric acid and thereafter dehydrogenating at C-1,2.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,721,871 Colton Oct. 25, 1955 2,729,654 Colton Jan. 3, 1956 2,806,862 Pederson et al. Sept. 17, 1957 2,845,381 Tindall July 29, 1958 2,871,245 Wettstein et a1. Jan. 27, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES Ringold et al.: J. Org. Chem, vol. 23, pages 239-240 (February 1956).

Ruelas et al.: J. Org. Chem, vol. 23, pages 1744-47 (November 1958). 

2. A COMPOUND OF THE FOLLOWING FORMULA: 